Academic Division and the Medical Center.
To provide reasonable assurance that the health and safety of all individuals on properties controlled or managed by the University are maintained.
Freedom from physical pain or disease.
Condition of being safe from undergoing or causing hurt, injury, or loss (Webster's Dictionary).
All University activities shall be conducted using reasonable precautions to protect employees, students, the public and the environment so as to minimize dangers to life, safety and property. The University regards its responsibility for providing a healthful and safe working environment for its faculty, staff and students to be a high priority.
To provide reasonable assurance that the health and safety of all individuals on properties controlled or managed by the University are maintained:
University-wide Health and Safety Program Activities:
The activities required to institute a comprehensive and University-wide health and safety program may be divided into nine categories:
This delineation of activities into nine types does not suggest that each type of activity be addressed separately. Indeed, all components of a coordinated health and safety program must be addressed simultaneously.
Responsibilities:
While every person has responsibility for his or her personal well-being, the primary responsibility for providing a healthful and safe working environment rests with line management. Management’s responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
Moreover, except for some broadly defined, University-wide services such as landscaping, heating, police, etc., the cost of maintaining a healthful and safe working environment shall fall on the department or unit under whose auspices a particular activity is being conducted.
In order to assist with the above noted 9 activities in Section 1, Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) will:
Thus, the staff of EHS should be seen principally as a coordinating, standard setting, auditing and service organization rather than an enforcer of regulations.
Administrators of each unit are responsible for the enforcement of all health and safety policies with two exceptions:
In those cases where violations are detected and where a unit administrator does not respond as advised, EHS shall, at the Director’s discretion, appeal its recommendations through the appropriate Vice President, and if necessary, all the way to the President. Similarly, units which disagree with the counsel of EHS may also appeal those decisions to the Vice President for Research. In cases where, in the judgment of the Director, there is a clear and present serious danger to the health and/or safety of an employee or to University property, the Director shall have the authority to issue cease and desist orders, which may be appealed after they have been obeyed, as indicated above.
Compliance with Policy:
Failure to comply with the requirements of this policy may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination or expulsion in accordance with relevant University policies.
Questions about this policy should be directed to Environmental Health and Safety.
Contact the Office of Environmental Health & Safety for assistance at 982-4911.
This is the first version of this policy.